Nominate

Each year, we award the TED Prize to a leader at a tipping point in their career -- one who has an innovative idea for catalyzing global change. The TED Prize winner receives $1 million and the support of TED’s staff and global community to launch their idea. The process begins with your suggestions...

We search year-round for inspiring thinkers and doers who have a big idea to accelerate progress toward solving a global problem. Do you have that kind of inspiring idea? Or know someone who does? Use the nomination forms below to tell us more about who you think should win the next TED Prize.

Who can you nominate?

TED Prize nominees can be activists, scientists, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, technologists — you name it. The ideal nominee is a visionary who thinks big, and a strong leader with the skills to make things happen. You can nominate yourself. You can nominate a colleague, a mentor or a friend. You can also nominate someone whose work you admire from afar, even if you’ve never met.

How is the TED Prize winner chosen?

TED Prize nominations are considered year-round on a rolling basis. All nominations are read by our team and researched in detail. We actively consider about 100 nominees, and approximately 15 advance to the finalist round.

For finalists, this is not your typical grant-writing process. We work with each candidate, pushing them to dream bigger. Many finalists — even those who don’t become TED Prize winners — say the process helped them grow and sent them in new directions they never could have imagined.

The TED Prize winner is selected from among the finalists by a panel of leading members of the TED community. The TED Prize team then works closely with the winner to help them create an execution plan for their wish and to present their idea in a compelling TED Talk at our annual conference.

What is the timeline?

We are currently accepting nominations for the 2018 TED Prize -- and want to hear from you! Please submit your application by July 31, 2017, to be considered. Expect to hear from us in late September on whether your application is still under active consideration. Any applications received after the deadline will be considered for the following year's TED Prize.

Our 2017 TED Prize finalists have been selected. Stay tuned for the reveal of the winner. In the meantime, learn more about 2016 TED Prize winner Sarah Parcak, and her wish to accelerate archaeological discovery.

The seasons of the TED Prize nomination calendar:

Ongoing: Nominations are open; nominees are considered on a rolling basis

Summer: Finalists are selected and asked to formulate their wishes

Fall: A TED Prize winner is selected and revealed to the world

Winter: The winner’s wish execution planning begins

Spring: The TED Prize wish is launched in a talk at the annual TED Conference